L-L boys basketball playoff picture

Less than a week remains in the Lancaster-Lebanon League hoops season and the boys basketball playoff picture has begun to take shape. Three county teams reman in contention for an L-L title, though only one has officially had its ticket punched to the dance.

Here's what each needs team to do to shore up its resume until then:

Cedar Crest

Record: 15-5, 10-4 Section One

Remaining schedule: Saturday at Lower Dauphin, Tuesday at Penn Manor

What needs to happen: After losing three straight against section competition, the Falcons at last righted their ship Thursday with a blowout, Senior Night win over Warwick. However, enough damage may have already been done, because they no longer control their own destiny.

By way of the league's third tiebreaker (record vs. section champion), Hempfield (13-6, 10-4) would advance to the L-L playoffs over Cedar Crest should both teams finish with the same league record. It's unlikely the Falcons fall in either of their final two matchups, as their remaining opponents currently boast a combined 10 wins. Therefore, whether Cedar Crest gets its shot at a third straight league title largely comes down to this:

Will Section One champion McCaskey take care of Hempfield at home in its season finale Tuesday?

The Black Knights upset the Red Tornadoes back on Jan. 8, but from my view it's hard to see another surprise unfolding. McCaskey's biggest obstacle this season, mystifyingly enough, has appeared to be sufficient motivation, and I don't believe it will lack come Tuesday. While there is little more for the Red Tornadoes to accomplish, they will soon bid adieu to one of their most talented players in program history, Kobe Gantz.

Gantz, as well as starting guard Randolph Speller, are scheduled to be honored pregame on Senior Night and then play for one of the last times in front of their home crowd. I'd place more confidence in Gantz dropping 30 that night than Hempfield leaving with a victory, but that's by no means a guarantee. After all, not much in Section One has been this season.

Lebanon

What needs to happen: Well first, the Cedars simply need to take the floor.

Thanks to winter storm Jonas, Lebanon has not laced up for four quarters dating back to last Thursday, when it notched a clean 60-43 win at Ephrata. Since then, the Cedars have been forced to backload their schedule, which will feature three league games in five nights beginning this evening at LHS.

Thankfully for Tim Speraw's group, it currently holds a two-game lead over second-place Conestoga Valley, which also has guaranteed itself an L-L playoff spot due to the relative weakness of Section Two. All Lebanon must do now is win at least two of its next three games to claim an outright section title. Should the Cedars falter, a winner-take-all section championship game against the Buckskins would be required to settle a champion.

Lebanon's Dante Vargas, defended by Garden Spot's Brady Mellinger, lets go of a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter Friday during the Cedars' 64-57 win over the Spartans.(Photo: Jeremy Long, GameTimePA.com)

Yet even in thats scenario Lebanon would find itself in good shape, given swept the season series against CV pretty handily. The only complication there would reside in scheduling, as a Thursday date at Hershey looms down the road. Now perhaps that non-league duel would get cancelled or the Cedars could be forced to meet the Buckskins either the day before or after traveling to Chocolatetown. In that event, Lebanon would have potentially have to play five games in eight days BEFORE even entering league playoffs.

So here's how you can avoid that whole mess, Cedars: Take care of business, win and get in.

Elco

Record: 17-3, 11-3 Section Three

Remaining schedule: Friday at Manheim Central, Tuesday at Donegal

What needs to happen: This wasn't quite the way Brad Conners' bunch drew it up at the beginning of the season with a league championship in mind. But given the opponents that lie ahead and their chance at the L-L playoffs remains, they'll take it.

In the Raiders' path stand the Barons, Section Three champions from a year ago, and the Indians, whose upset in Myerstown earlier this season has the Elco in this small quandary in the first place. The Raiders' simplest formula is to win out, thereby securing Section Three's second-place spot behind Lampeter-Strasburg. By winning at Manheim Central tonight, Elco would also knock out the Barons (13-6, 9-5) from contention, leaving only itself and Cocalico (14-4, 10-3) in the mix for the runner-spot.

What helps the Raiders in that discussion is that not only did they sweep the Eagles this season, but Cocalico, which currently holds the same number of league losses, faces a regular-season finale tilt at L-S on Tuesday. Indeed, the Eagles are the only team to have upset the Pioneers this year, but they will have been burdened by three previous games in five nights leading up to the game. Additionally, Cocalico cannot afford to lose any of its four remaining tip-offs, all league games, particularly if Elco wins tonight.

The Raiders are in good shape, but they can convert that into great shape and then a playoff berth with two more wins.